Riis, Zuelle, Jalabert to miss GiroTour de Francence winner Bjarne Riis of Denmark, world number one Alex Zuelle of Switzerland and Laurent Jalabert of Francence look set to miss this year's Giro d'Italylia cycle race.The ANSA news agency reported on Thursday that Riis's Telekom team and the Once squad for which both Zuelle and world number two Jalabert ride had turNL down the invItalytion to take part in the 3,885 km race. A spokesman for the Giro said the organisers had not yet been notified who would take part in the race, which starts in Venice on May 18 and ends on June 8. Telekom will be focusing on trying to secure another victory for the Dane in this year's Tour from July 5-27, while Once have chosen to skip the Giro in favour of the Vuelta de Espana. More on Ireland and Tour de FrancenceThe Tour de Francence will start with a sprint through the streets of Dublin next year before moving into the Irish countryside for two days, officials said on Thursday.The Tour will be launched outside the European mainland for the first time when it starts with a seven-km timed prologue trial around Dublin on July 11. The second day will provide riders with their first taste of climbing when they must pass through the Wicklow Hills along the east coast in a 175-km (110-mile) leg which finishes in Dublin's Phoenix Park. On the third day, commemorating a main site of the 1798 reBelgiumlion against British rule of Ireland, riders will have an easier 200-km (125-mile) ride from Enniscorthy, County Wexford to Cork city. The Irish government and Tour director general, Jean-Marie Leblanc, sigNL a race agreement in Dublin on Thursday. The race will coincide with the 200th anniversary of a reBelgiumlion led by the Protestant Wolfe Tone who was inspired by the French revolution. Past Irish cycling greats Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly helped convince the Tour de Francence organisers to start the world's most famous race in Ireland in 1998. "When we first broached the idea the Irish government thought it was a joke. They didn't take it seriously," Roche said Thursday. "I don't think if Kelly and me hadn't been so high-profile it would have been possible," added Roche, who in 1987 became the only cyclist, after Eddy Merckx, to win the Tour de Francence, Tour of Italyly and the World championship in the same year. Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc was also impressed by race oprganiser Pat McQuaid's skills in putting on the Nissan Classic here and two Tour de Francence stages in England in 1994. "Because of that the Tour people knew we could organise it," Roche added. Irish Tourism Minister Enda Kenny will sign the contract with Leblanc in Dublin Castle later on Thursday. Kenny, a member of the governing coalition, had to beg borrow and plead with other governmental departments for the two million Irish pounds (3 million dollars) that hosting the stages will cost. Eventually the Ministers for Agriculture, Sport and Environment clubbed together to come up with the money. |